Grieving family to view boy’s body found in canal
THE family of 15-year-old Asonele Wanga say they are expecting to view the body of their son at the Salt River mortuary today. This after it was recovered from a canal at the weekend.
Wanga, one of the four victims of an alleged mob justice attack at the Covid-19 informal settlement last week, was thrown into the stream that runs across the informal settlement in Driftsands.
Since the news of their disappearance, the police have been searching for their bodies.
His mother, Sindiswa Wanga, 40, said after her son’s body was found, she was relieved.
“At least I am going to rest now knowing that my son's body has been found.”
Wanga said she has been looking for help ever since the disappearance of her son, and after she was told that he was beaten to death allegedly by the community members, alleging that he was involved in a housebreaking.
When the Cape Argus visited Wanga’s family in Mfuleni yesterday, neighbours were still comforting Sindiswa.
One of the neighbours, Nondumiso Makabeni said Asonele was a decent and respectful child.
"Yes, he was a child, like any other child. We know that he was involved in criminal activities as many people alleged, but he was never arrogant, he always listens when he is reprimanded,” said Makabeni.
Another neighbour, Phatheka Dyantyi, thanked the community and the police who assisted in finding the body, and encouraged them to continue searching for others.
Police spokesperson Novela Potelwa confirmed that the body of the youngster was recovered, and they were still searching for the bodies of Maphelo Mazamisa, 23, Sabelo Rasmeni, 21, and Yonela Mdladlama, 22.
The discovery of Asonele’s body came six days after the police appealed to families with missing loved ones to contact detective Sergeant Nkululeko Magqaza after they recovered two unknown bodies from the same stream they were searching for the four victims.
Potelwa said last Saturday, the search party retrieved the first body. A second body was recovered on Sunday afternoon.
“The three families who opened missing persons’ cases with Mfuleni police confirmed on Monday last week that the bodies recovered on Saturday and Sunday were not their relatives.”
She said the divers then resumed their search along the river, until they recovered the first body of the victim on Saturday.
Anyone with information that could assist in the investigations was urged to contact the Crime Stop number, 0860 010 111, or Magqaza on